1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel supply module for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle and, more particularly, to a fuel supply module comprising a fuel feed device by which fuel from a fuel tank is fed to the internal combustion engine and a fuel filter.
2. Prior Art
This type of fuel supply module is described in German Patent Document DE 195 31 467 A1. This fuel supply module has a fuel feed device arranged in a fuel tank for an internal combustion engine, by which fuel is supplied to an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle from a fuel tank. Furthermore a fuel filter is also provided in the fuel supply module. Fuel fed by the fuel feed device flows through the fuel filter, which has a filter housing. Furthermore a connecting member is provided, which provides a hydraulic connection of the filter with the fuel supply device. The fuel filter has a high manufacturing and assembly expense because of the separate filter housing and the required attachment of the filter housing.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved fuel supply module of the above-described kind, in which no separate filter housing is required so that manufacturing and assembly expenses are reduced.
According to the invention fuel supply module comprises a fuel tank; a fuel feed device arranged in the fuel tank for feeding fuel from the fuel tank to the internal combustion engine; a fuel filter through which the fuel supplied by the fuel feed device flows, which includes a filter housing; a connecting member for providing a hydraulic connection between the fuel filter and the fuel feed device; a pot-shaped reservoir arranged in the fuel tank, in which the fuel feed device is arranged and from which the fuel is fed by the fuel feed device. The connecting member is at least approximately plate-shaped and arranged above the fuel feed device. The filter housing is at least partially formed by the reservoir or the connecting member or by both of the reservoir and the connecting member.
The fuel supply module according to the invention has the advantage that no separate filter housing is required for the fuel filter since it is provided by the fuel reservoir and/or in the connecting member.
Various preferred embodiments of the fuel supply unit according to the invention are described in detail hereinbelow.
In one preferred embodiment a tubular projecting portion extends from the connecting member into the reservoir and is formed in one piece with the connecting member and the tubular projecting portion is closed by a covering element and forms a part of the filter housing.
In another preferred embodiment a tubular projecting portion extends from an outer wall section of the reservoir into the reservoir and is formed in one piece with the outer wall section and the tubular projecting portion is closed by a covering element and forms a part of the filter housing.
The tubular projecting portion is open on its top side in some embodiments and the connecting member then acts as a covering element for closure of the tubular projecting portion. In other embodiments the tubular projecting portion is open on its bottom side and the reservoir has a base acting as a covering element for closure of the tubular projecting portion.
The covering element can be glued or bonded with the tubular projecting portion in various embodiments.